Valve operating mechanism for registers



May 30, 1950 R. 1.. LEIGH VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR REGISTERS Filed Oct. 31, 1946 INVENTOR. Robe/f L. Zef 5 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE OPERATING MECHANISMFOR REGISTERS at Application October 31, 1946, Serial No. 706,860

6 Claims. 1

This inventionrelates to improvements in valve. operating mechanism for registers.

The mainxobjects of this invention are:

First, to provide a valve operating mechanism for gravity registerstin which the parts are sim-i ple and 'economicaluandeasily assembled.

Second, to providea valve operating mechanism for registers operated iromarotatable button or knobwhich" is silentin operation. At the same time parts are elre'ctively heldiin adjusted position even when the valve plate or dampe plate is subject to" considerable air flow.

Third,'to provide "a 'valve operating mechanism" having these advantages effectively concealed within the registerface and mounted as a part thereof to be applied as a unit'to the register box.

Further" objects relating to details and economiesof the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims;

A structure which embodies the features of the invention is illustrated in the" accompanying" dr'awingpin which:

Fig:1ris a front "elevation of a structure embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rearor inside perspectiveview of a structure embodying my invention in vertical section on a line corresponding to line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section on a broken line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section on line 3 i of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated only the part'of a register directly associated with my invention; that is, the register box or stack head is not illustrated.

The face plate designated generally by the numeral l is providedwith rearwardly projecting side and-top flanges 2 and 3 adapted-to fit over parts of the register box. The damperior valve plate 4 is pivotally mounted et -.5 ton-the inner side of the face plate. The face plate is provided with louver openings 6 at eachside of the upright bar 1 preferably-locatedcentrally; of the face plate. Screws indicated at fl'are'provided to "attach theface plate to the register box.

To the "inner side of' the bar-TI secure the bridge member 9 having offset ends it? and II which are welded to the inner side of the plate as indicated at 12. The knob or finger piece I3 is provided with a shaft Hi which is arranged through the face plate and the bridge and provided at its inner end with rack pinion l5. The rack member It is of angular section, its arm I! constituting a slide, its arm it being provided 2 with a series of holes! forming rack teeth conformingly coasting-with the pinion. The arm I! is provided with longitudinal slots 2! and. 22, these slots being longitudinally spaced, the slot 2| hav- 5 ing an enlargement23 at its lower end adapted to receive the pinion or permit the rack being manipulated overthe pinion. The stud 2t carried by 'the bridge piece engages the slot 22 of the rack and holds the bowed spring 25 in frictional 1o engagementwith therrack to frictionally hold the rack in its adjusted position. This spring is secured to the stud. after the stud isarranged through the slot.

The slot 22 isof such length that itsiends serve 152' as stops coacting with the studio limit the sliding movement of'the rack so that the pinion cannot be brought into register with the enlargement 23'of the slot 2E. The valve plate t is provided1with' a longitudinal slot 26 and with a lug zmor ear 2'3 secured. thereto toproject :rearwardly through the slot. This lug or ear 2i is connected by'the link 23 to ear 29" on the rack member so that rotative: adjustment of the knob l3 imparts sliding movement to the rack and this 25ti1nparts swinging movement to the valve plate closurewill. enabletnose: skilled in the art to adapttiori embody my: invention :as? may be de-- sired? Having'thus describedmy invention, what I claimnas' new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in a register of 'afaceplate having a centrally disposed vertical bar portion, 45 cm bridge havingeforwardly offset'ends secured to the -inner sid of arranged through said face plate and bridge and rotatably supported thereby, a pinion on the rear end of said shaft, a rack member of angular section, one arm of which constitutes a slide and is slidably disposed on said bridge piece and provided with longitudinally spaced longitudinal slots, the upper one of which is provided with an 5 enlargement at its lower end permitting the pass- .=..id'barpcrtion of said face plate, an. adjustingknob provided with a, shaft ing of the pinion therethrough, the other arm having a series of openings therein providing rack teeth coacting with the pinion, a stud carried by said bridge disposed through the lower slot, a bowed spring on said stud frictionally engaging the rack member for holding it in its adjusted position and coacting with the shaft and pinion to slidably support the rack upon the bridge piece, a swingably mounted valve having a vertical slot therein, a lug secured to said valve to project rearwardly therefrom, and a link disposed through said slot in said valve and pivotally connected to said lug and to said rack member whereby rotative adjustment of the knob imparts longitudinal movement to the rack member.

2. The combination in a register of a face plate having a centrally disposed vertical bar portion a bridge having forwardly offset ends secured to the inner side of said bar portion of said face plate, an adjusting knob provided with a shaft arranged through said face plate and bridge and rotatably supported thereby, a pinion on the rear end of said shaft, a rack member of angular section, one arm of which constitutes a slide and is slidably disposed on said bridge piece and provided with longitudinally spaced longitudinal slots, the upper one of which is provided with an enlargement at its lower end permitting the pass-- ing of the pinion therethrough, the other arm having a series of openings therein providing rack teeth coacting with the pinion, a stud carried by said bridge disposed through the lower slot, a bowed spring on said stud frictionally engaging the rack member for holding it in its adjusted position and coacting with the shaft and pinion to slidably support the rack upon the bridge piece, a swingabl mounted valve and a link pivotally connected to said valve and to said rack member whereby rotative adjustment of the knob imparts longitudinal movement to the rack member.

3. The combination in a register, of a face plate, a bridge member secured to the inner side of said face plate, an adjusting knob provided with a shaft arranged through said face plate and bridge, a pinion on the rear end of said shaft, a rack member of angular section, one arm of which constitutes a rack coacting with the pinion, the other arm constituting a slide disposed on said bridge member and provided with longitudinally spaced longitudinal slots, one slot having an enlargement permitting the passing of the pinion therethrough, a stud on said bridge member disposed through the other slot, a bowed spring on said stud frictionally engaging the rack member for holding it in its adjusted position and coacting with the shaft and pinion to slidably support the rack upon the bridge member, a swingably mounted valve plate having a vertical slot therein, a lug secured to said valve plate to project rearwardly therefrom, and a link disposed through said slot in said valve plate and pivotally connected to said lug and to said rack member.

4. The combination in a register of a face 6 plate, a bridge member secured to the inner side of said face plate, an adjusting knob provided with a shaft arranged through said face plate and bridge, a pinion on the rear end of said shaft, a rack member of angular section, one arm of which constitutes a rack coacting with the pinion, the other arm constituting a slide disposed on said bridge member and provided with longitudi nally spaced longitudinal slots, one slot having an enlargement permitting the passing of the pinion therethrough, a stud on said bridge member disposed through the other slot, a bowed spring on said stud frictionally engaging the rack member for holding it in its adjusted position and coacting with the shaft and pinion to slidably support the rack upon the bridge member, a swingably mounted valve plate and a link pivotally connected to said valve plate and to said rack member.

5. The combination in a register, of a valve member, a face plate, a bridge member secured to the inner side of said face plate, an adjusting knob provided with a shaft arranged through said face plate and bridge, a pinion on the rear end of said shaft, a rack member of angular section, one arm of which constitutes a rack ooacting with the pinion, the other arm constituting a slide disposed on said bridge member and provided with longitudinally spaced longitudinal slots, one slot having an enlargement permitting the passing of the pinion therethrough, a stud on said bridge member disposed through the other slot, a spring on said stud frictionally engaging the rack member for holding it in its adjusted position and coacting with the shaft and pinion to slidably support the rack upon the bridge mem ber, and operating connections from said rack for said valve member.

6. In a register, a valve member, a face plate, a bridge member secured at the ends thereof to the inner side of said face plate and spaced from the face plate intermediate the ends of the bridge member, an adjusting knob provided with a shaft arranged through said face plate and bridge member, a pinion on the rear end of said shaft at the rear of said bridge, a rack member of angular section, one arm of which projects rearwardly and constitutes a rack coacting with the pinion, the other arm constituting a slide slidably mounted on the rear side of said bridge member, a spring frictionally engaging the rack member for holding it in its adjusted position on said bridge member, and operating connections from said rack for said valve member, said bridge member rotatably supporting said shaft between said pinion and face plate and in spaced relation from said face plate.

ROBERT L. LEIGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 486,220 Shure Nov. 15, 1892 778,755 Mathis Dec, 27, 1904 852,063 Jones Apr. 30, 1907 1,070,312 Wilson Aug. 12, 19 3 

